Pressure booster



Feb. 4, 1941. G. c. SHERMAN Filed Aug. 15, 19:58

PRESSURE BOOSTER 2 Sheets-Sheet I Feb. 4, 1941. v a. c. SHERMAN PRESSUREBOOSTER Filed Aug. 15, 1958 2 SheetsSheet 2 Patented Feb. 4, 1941 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE Application August 15,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an automatic pressure booster and it is oneobject of the invention to provide a device which may be installed incon nection with practically any regulator of standard construction andserve to automatically boost or raise pressure at the gas regulator whennecessary.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich is compact and of simplified construction and operates with verylittle friction, thus making it extremely sensitive when installed inplace of a conventional dead weight regulator on a pilot controlledinstallation.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinFigure 1 is a view in side elevation showing the improved automaticpressure booster installed in operative relation to a gas regulator inplace of a dead weight regulator on a pilot controlled installation,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken vertically through the improvedautomatic pressure regulator, and

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken horizontally along the line 3-3 ofFigure 2.

This improved automatic pressure booster takes the place of a deadweight regulator customarily installed on a pilot controlledinstallation and is mounted in the pipe I leading from the gas main 2 tothe main regulator. 3 which is of a conventional construction and notillustrated in detail. A valve 41 is mounted in the pipe line I, andupon referring to Figure 2, it will be seen that this valve is providedwith the usual seat 5 against the lower end of which the valve head 6engages when the valve is in a closed position. The stem 1 of the valveextends upwardly from the valve head and at its upper end passes througha diaphragm 8 which has its marginal portion secured between the top ofthe valve seat and the lower shell 9 of a diaphragm housing or casingIii. This diaphragm housing has its upper shell ll open at its top, asshown at l2, and within the housing ismounted a diaphragm I3 bearingagainst theupper face of the disk I l which carries a depending shank I5 in threaded engagement with the threaded upper end of the valve stem.In order to equalize pressure between the chamber under the diaphragm I3 and the upstream end of the valve 4, there has been provided a port 4'of small diameter which is formed through contacting portions of thevalve casing and the lower shell 9 of the diaphragm housing. Thestructure so far described constitutes a low pressure service regulatorwhich is to be loaded 1938, Serial No. 225,019 (Cl. -16) to act inresponse to a pressure.

Above the low pressure service regulator is disposed a diaphragm housingor casing l6 having upper and lower sections or shells I 1 and I8. Adiaphragm; i9 is disposed within the casing or housing It and has itsmarginal portion clamped between the outstanding flanges of the shellsl1 and I8, the flanges of the shells being held in gripping engagementwith the diaphragm by nuts 20 carried by the threaded upper end portionsof a suitable number of rods 2!. The rods extend vertically and havethreaded lower end portions which pass through openings in the flangesof the two shells forming the diaphragm casing if and carry nuts 22which, when tightened, cause marginal portions of the diaphragm l3 to befirmly gripped. A stem 23 which is threaded from its upper end for themajor portion of its length extends downwardly from the center of thediaphragm l9 and passes through a leather diaphragm or disk 24 whichconstitutes a closure for an opening 25 formed centrally of the lowershell N3 of the diaphragm. casing IS. The leather disk or diaphragm isof appreciably greater diameter than the opening 25 and is securedagainst the under face of the shell l8 by a ring 26 atthe upper end of aframe 21, the ring being secured by a suitable number of screws 28 whichpass through the ring and through the 30 leather disk and are screwedinto threaded sockets formed in the thickened central portion of thelower shell IS. The stem is anchored to the disk or diaphragm 24 bycollars 2'9 thus providing an air and gas-tight closure for the opening25 and eliminating use of a packing gland. Therefore, friction will bereduced to a minimum. The stem 23 extends through openings 36 and 3|formed in the lower bar 32 and the cross bar 33 of the frame 21 andabove and below the cross bar carries nuts M and 35. The nut 34constitutes an adjustable abutment tolimit downward movement of the stemand the nut 35 constitutes an abutment for the upper. end of a helicalspring 36 disposed about the stem with its lower endbearing against thelower bar 32 of the open frame. Above the nut 34 the stem is severed,thus providing the stem with upper and lower sectionswhich are connectedby a sleeve 01' collar 23' fitting about adjoining ends of the twosections and secured thereto by set screws. The lower end portion of thestem is bored to form a socket 3! which slidably receives the upper endof a pin 35 and the lower end of the stem bears against a washer 39which fits loosely about the predetermined minimum pin. The lower end ofthe pin 38 fits into a socket 40 disposed centrally of the disk l4 andresting upon the diaphragm l3 over the disk l4. A helical spring 42 isdisposed about the pin 38 with its upper end bearing against the washer39 and its lower end resting upon the socket 40. It will thus be seenthat a certain amount of independent movement will be permitted betweenthe pin 38 and the stem 23 and the valve 6 permitted to have movement inan opening or closing direction in response to changes in pressure.Weights 43 are set in place about the socket 40 over the disk I4 toapply dead weight thereto. Pipes 44 and 45 lead from the pipe fittingsor elbows 46 and 41 which are threaded through openings formed in theshells I! and 18 of the diaphragm casing l6, and these pipes, which maybe referred to as an up-stream pipe 44 and a downstream pipe 45, havetheir other ends communieating with the gas main 2' at opposite sides ofthe valve 48 provided therein. A bridging pipe 49 extends between thepipes 44 and 45 adjacent the diaphragm housing l6, and in this bridgingpipe is mounted a valve 50 to control flow of gas between the pipes 44and 45.

When this pressure booster is in use, it is installed as shown inFigure 1. A tap is made in the high pressure side of the line leading tothe main regulator setting. This tap leads to first control regulatorwhich is a spring loaded regulator and is set so as to give-a pressuresomewhat higher than the final control pressure, and then through anadjustable needle valve to a connection in the main diaphragm chamberand on through the final control regulator to the outlet or low pressureside. In the operation of this system a small flow of gas is establishedthrough the needle valve and two regulators to the outlet side. Thepressure under the diaphragm of the dead weight regulator is the same asthe outlet pressure, as the pressure is transferred through smallopenings 4 in the lower casting. If the outlet pressure tends toincrease, the diaphragm of the regulator is raised which tends to holdback the pressure between the first and second regulators in such a wayas to hold up the pressure under the main diaphragm, thus tending toclose the valves. Conversely, if the pressure tends to decrease, thediaphragm in the second regulator is lowered which allows pressurebetween two regulators todecrease and also decreases pressure under themain diaphragm, which tends to open the main regulator valves andrestore to outlet pressure required.

After the booster has been placed in the line or pipe I, an opening ismade in the line or pipe 2 on the up-stream side of the valve 48. Aconnection is made from this opening to the fitting 46 by means of thepipe 44 in which the valve 5| is placed. Another opening is made in theline 2 onthe down-stream side of the valve 48 and is connected with thefitting 41 by the pipe 45 in which the valve 52 is placed. The valves 5|and 52 are of no use other than to cut off pressure if the booster istobe removed from the line and to set minimum pressure. Minimum pressuredesired is obtained by placing weights on the diaphragm l3, the weightsbeing shown at 43 on the drawing. While the regulator is operating atminimum pressure, the stem 23 should not touch the washer 39. To makethis adjustment, it is necessary to cut the stem 23 at a point justabove the nut 34 and connect the two sections of the stem with the link23'. The purpose of the spring 36 and the nut 35 is to offset the weightof the diaphragm l9 and the parts attached to it. This should beadjusted so that with equal pressure on each side of the diaphragm !9the stem 23 will not touch the washer 39.

The booster is now in place and operating at minimum pressure, therebeing no demand for higher pressure. To make the necessary adjust mentso that the booster will operate as demand increases, it is necessary toclose the valve 48 slowly until the pressure on the up-stream side ofthe valve increases, which pressure is transferred through the line 44to the upper side of the diaphragm 19. This causes the stem 23 to movein a downward direction, or, in other words, close the valve 48 until aslight increase in the pressure in the line between the regulator 3 andthe valve 48 is noted by connecting a U-gauge in this line or by othermeans. As the demand increases, the pressure in the stream side of thevalve 48 will increase due to the valve which acts as an orifice beingpartly closed. This increase in pressure causes the stem 23 to movedownwardly, pressure being applied to the spring 42 and causing thevalve 6 to open '3.

which will decrease pressure in the line I and under the diaphragm ofthe main regulator and allow the valves of the main regulator to openand increase pressure on the system to the desired point. Thus it willbe seen that by means of the intermediate pressure acting on thediaphragm, and in turn to springs, pressure is being increased the sameas if weights were added to the diaphragm I3. By using this means ofboosting pressure, it is raised only when the demand justifies, while ifother means were used, pressure may be increased when not needed. Thebridging pipe 49 and the valve 50 are placed between the lines 44 and 45so that, if the booster fails to decrease pressure because of the valvei 48 being closed too much and causing intermediate pressure to behigher than it should be, the valve 50 may be opened slightly andby-pass the intermediate pressure in the line 44 to the line 45, thusdecreasing the efiective differential. This is especially useful wherethe valve may be in a pit or underground and the booster at anotherlocation.

Figure 1 shows the booster in the line near the main regulator. locatedin a pit, the booster may be placed in the box above the ground byextending the lines I, 44 and 45 to that location. Thus it will be seenthat by using the valve 50, it will not be necessary to enter the pit orvalve box to adjust the valve 48.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a structure of the character described, a valve casing, a valvemember in the casing having an upwardly extending stem, a diaphragmhousing, a diaphragm in said housing, a diaphragm secured between thevalve casing and the diaphragm housing with the upper end of the stemextending through the diaphragm, a head carried by the protruding upperend portion of said stem and engaging the under face of the diaphragm inthe diaphragm housing, a diaphragm housing supported above the firstdiaphragm housing and having a diaphragm therein, a stem carried by thediaphragm in the upper diaphragm housing and extending downwardly fromthe housing, a frame depending from the upper diaphragm housing andconstituting a guide for said second-mentioned stem,

line on the upit If the regulator should be a diaphragm secured aboutsaid second-mentioned stem and having marginal portions secured betweenthe frame and the upper diaphragm housing and constituting a flexibleclosure for the lower portion of the upper diaphragm housing, anabutment adjustably mounted upon said second-mentioned stem for limitingdownward movement of the second-mentioned stem by engagement with aportion of said frame, a support upon the diaphragm in the firstdiaphram housing, a pin extending upwardly from said support, a collarabout said pin, a sleeve carried by said second-mentioned stem andslidably disposed about the pin and bearing against the collar, a springbetween the collar and said support to yieldably resist upward movementof the pin and support relative to the sleeve, a second adjustableabutment upon said second-mentioned stem, and a spring about thesecond-mentioned stem betweenthe second abutment and a portion of theframe and yieldably resisting downward movement of the stem.

2. In a device of the character described, a valve having a body and aclosure member having a stem extending upwardly in the body, a diaphragmcasing secured upon the valve body, a diaphragm in said casing, a headcarried by the valve stem and bearing against the under face of thediaphragm, a support resting upon the diaphragm over the head, an upperdiaphragm casing supported above the first diaphragm casing and havingan opening in its bottom, a'diaphragm in the second diaphragm casing, astem carried by the diaphragm in the second diaphragm casing andextending downwardly through an opening in the lower portion thereof, aflexible closure for the opening in the second diaphragm casing securedabout said second-mentioned stem, a guide for said secondmentioned stemextending downwardly from thesecond diaphragm casing, a, pin extendingupwardly from said support, a sleeve carried by said second-mentionedstem and slidably fiting about said pin, a spring about said pin havingits lower end engaging the support and its upper end disposed under saidsleeve whereby vertical movement of the sleeve with the second-mentionedstem adjust tension of the spring, an adjustment means carried by thesecond-mentioned stem, a spring between the adjustment means and saidguide for yieldably resisting downward movement of the second-mentionedstem, and means for selectively admitting fluid under pressure into thesecond diaphragm casing above and below the diaphragm therein.

3. In a device of the character described, a. valve having a housing anda closure member movable into and out of a closed position, and aregulator consisting of a lower diaphragm casing having a diaphragmtherein operatively associated with the closure member, an upperdiaphragm casing having a diaphragm therein and a stem extendingdownwardly from the secondmentioned diaphragm, means for yieldablyresisting downward movement of said stem, a support upon the diaphragmin the lower diaphragm casing, an upstanding stem alined with saidfirst-mentioned stem, a pin movably carried by said second-mentionedstem and operatively connecting said second-mentioned stem with thesupport, means for yieldably resisting movement of the pin andsecond-mentioned stem relative to each other in one direction, and meansfor admitting fluid under pressure into the upper diaphragm casing aboveand below the diaphragm therein.

GAYLE C. SHERMAN.

